Many of you have questions about the best places to go salsa dancing. I am going to share a couple of my favourite places and evenings and hopefully this will help you go out and enjoy the amazing salsa venues in Toronto.

Without a doubt my favourite salsa club in Toronto is Babaluu in Yorkville. It is a very small club but it has an amazing vibe, great dancers and feels like home. My favourite night is Wednesday as there is enough space to dance and there is a variety of beginner, intermediate and advanced dancers – something for everyone. Be careful about visiting Babaluu on Friday or Saturday night as it is packed and can even have line ups. Stick to Tuesdays, Wednesday, Thursdays or Sunday evenings.

I also enjoy visiting Acrobat on Friday evenings as the space is large and there are a lot of fun dancers in attendance. Be careful of the heat though as it is very hot there!

Lastly, if I am in the mood for live music, I enjoy visiting Lula Lounge on a Saturday night. However I am always aware that it is very busy there and, due to the sloping floor, it can be quite difficult to dance.

If you want a place to practice your salsa but feel intimidated visiting salsa clubs, the Toronto Salsa Practice is a great place to visit. It is held every Saturday afternoon and evening at a downtown church. Cover is minimal ($3 or $4) and it is a great place to practice moves and meet new dancers.

A fellow helper called me out last Wednesday to go to Babaluu in Yorkville, and I ended up having a great time. They made us check our coats at the door ($2) even though we were only wearing sweaters, but i guess it's better than paying a cover charge. There were some very good dancers there (guys), and everyone I danced with seemed really patient and eager to teach me some new dance moves. I ended up seeing Sharon there as well as some other familiar faces from Toronto Dance. It wasn't too packed and there was a LOT of salsa sets played with a few bachata songs thrown in...which was good, cause I started to work up a sweat. I will definitely come again on a Wednesday night. I only went for an hour or two, so I would be able to wake up for work the next day....it beat sitting on the couch watching TV.

Hey Guys,
I am definitely coming to Babalu's on wednesday! For the record, the dance floors at Acrobat lounge are not so great since the renovations. They tend to be sticky which is no so great when you are attempting spins! As Sharon mentioned, it can also be super hot there.The new salsa dance venue that is opening this friday (they say) tends to have a better floor. See you all this wednesday!
Sara

I will DEFINATELY be there this wednesday, and probably every wednesday... and by the way, this site is dangerous. Another reason to ignore school work. Youtube.com has some cool downloads, also another fun distraction - just type in salsa and you'll get all sorts of random stuff.
The last month of school is going to be rough...

Babaluu's on Tuesdays are great, too!!! DJ Julio Cesar always spins great music and there are plenty great dancers. Also, Berlin's dance floor is really nice. They're open for salsa on tuesdays. Anyone ever been to Berlin??? Sharon, I think they have a large enough space to hold Toronto Dance Salsa outings (2 floors) and really comfortable to dance in!!!

Yep I know but as I posted in the other entry that Miss Chievious added about Berlin, they weren't too helpful in getting an outing there for the weekend and Tuesday outings would only attract 30-40 students.

My fave salsa club would have to be Plaza Flamingo. I love their big big big dance floor, and the elevated seating area where you can get from one end of the room to another end without being stepped on. The atmosphere is very friendly and casual. They play a good mix of salsa and merengue, a little bachata, and some hip hop. If you get hungry after a night of dancing, the food in the resturant is also really good.

I also enjoy the Babaluu atmosphere. Very cozy and romantic... tablecloths, tea light candles, and flowers at the tables. It is a bit of an upscale club (considering it is located @ Yorkville), people are generally nicely dressed there. But who's complaining about dressing a little sexy for a sexy dance like salsa There are some really experienced dancers and instructors on the dance floor, which can be a little intimidating at first, but you can learn so much dancing with someone experienced. My experiences @ Babaluu are generally positive.

I went to Acrobat last friday and had a pretty good time. I found a few fairly creative dancers there. Though the floors are not the greatest, they were much better than they were in the summer. I think that with the weather cooling down, it's been good to the floors and has made dancing here more bearable.

Yah, i was at El Rancho last night as well and it's not bad on Fridays. (Plus if you're a woman, it's only $1 before 10:30) There were a lot of Cuban style dancers, so if you like Cuban dancing, it's a great place to go and practice. The upstairs like Evan said is packed, but downstairs has a bit more movement and there are more advanced dancers there. Check it out next friday!

I would love to hear about other new salsa club openings. Anything new and exciting that has recenlty opened or that is rumoured to be opening? Any feedback about new places would be great. I am always looking for a new place to do a Friday or Saturday evening outing that is big enough to accomodate 300 people. If anyone knows of a place I would love to hear about it!_________________Sharon
Toronto Dance Salsa
http://www.torontodancesalsa.ca
Toronto Salsa Lessons / Toronto Salsa Classes

Palais Royale re-opened after many renovations this summer. It doesn't host salsa evenings, but it is a dance hall, traditonally. Maybe an outing can be hosted there? It's right on Lakeshore, with a back, double-tiered patio overlooking the lake (which is really only beneficial in the summer I guess). But it's a lovely venue, with a centre dance floor and great sound, large bathrooms and definitely large enough for 300 people. I've been to private parties and have hosted concerts at Palais Royale, and have always enjoyed myself there. There is also a parking lot adjacent to it, and it is accessible by TTC to Queen & Roncesvalles, then you just walk across the Lakeshore pedestrian bridge which lands at the Palais' front doors. It's awesome in the summer when all of the french doors open along the rear wall to allow the lake breeze in._________________ AM